What is Energy and How Does it Relate to Matter?

  • Thread starter benzun_1999
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In summary, benzun_1999 says that matter is actually thought to be energy and that through-out time, human noticed that there is something weird that is tranported between objects, so for example a moving billiard ball can move another billiard ball when it hits it.Human found lot of connection between objects that ended up to be energy transfer, this is why the energy concept is very usefull, because by knowing the energy of an object you can know lot of variables about it (for example, but knowing the lost energy in your muscle while jogging, you can know how much you heated your enviroment, by knowing the speed of the bullet that hit the tree (and therefore its kinetic energy), you
  • #1
benzun_1999
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Dear readers,

As all of us know matter is made up of atoms and we have a very clear idea of it. But when it comes to energy we know a very few about it. Enery is what? the defnition the ability to do work is not a complete defnition. so i want to know more about it. i am a beginer so please go easy on me i would be happy if anyone is able to explain this clearly.:smile:

benzun
 
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  • #2
First of all, welcome to the forums.
Well, what you seem to be conveinced in (matter) is actually thought to be Energy (according to some of Einstein's theories).
But, let me explain a little bit more where did the concept of energy come from.
Through-out time, human noticed that there is something weird that is tranported between objects, so for example a moving billiard ball can move another billiard ball when it hits it.
With time, human was able to establish relations and laws of how this weird something flows between objects.
So, fromt he results that this weird something shows on the objects that possesses it, we were able to calculate how much of it there is.
And, we called this Energy :smile:; the ability to do work.
 
  • #3
dear staii,
I thankyou for inviting me. ok i understood a bit from you explanation but what do you think about energies like light heat etc.
please help me.
 
  • #4
Originally posted by benzun_1999
dear staii,
I thankyou for inviting me. ok i understood a bit from you explanation.
I am glad that you are happy being in the forums.

Btw, i would be happy if someone answers your questions too, cause i am not really an expert and i might get into errors !

but what do you think about energies like light heat etc.
please help me.
Ok, well the explanation in my last reply was only an example (the billiard balls).
Human actually found lot of connection between objects that ended up to be energy transfer, this is why the energy concept is very usefull, because by knowing the energy of an object you can know lot of variables about it (for example, but knowing the lost energy in your muscle while jogging, you can know how much you heated your enviroment, by knowing the speed of the bullet that hit the tree (and therefore its kinetic energy), you can know how hard the sound will be ... etc).
You asked about heat, heat is actually the kinetic energy of the atoms/molecules making up the object, so, imagine a room full of billiard balls, and all of the balls are moving and colliding, it would be just the way it looks inside an object when you look at the atoms/molecules, and the billiard balls will represent the atoms/molecules, and the kinetic energy of all the billiard balls would be the heat energy of the body . (there is only one diference, the atom/molecules making up and object don't collide by hitting each other, but because of the electrostatic forces between the atoms/molecules (because of the electrons making up the shells of the atom)).
About light, scientists discovered that light (and all other electromagnetic waves) will decrease the total energy of an object emiting it, and will raise the total energy of and object absorbing it, this is how the connection between light and energy came (actually, light itself is made of energy).
 
  • #5
Energy is simply the ability to do work.
What is work?
Work is the exertion of force over a distance.
What is force?
Force is the change in momentum of an entity with respect to time.
What is momentum?
Momentum is a relative measure of the inertia of one system with respect to another.
What is inertia?
Inertia is the resistance of an entity to change in state of motion.
What is motion?
... ad infinitum

eNtRopY
 
  • #6
Energy cannot be created or destroyed. Energy can only be transformed from one form into other. Matter is energy. Thus,
Energy is capacity to transform energy. Doesn't say much.

Yet, nothing, nothing can escape fundamental necessity: interaction. Thus, we can think of energy as of quantifiable measure of mutual interaction. Conditions of interaction dictate 'amount' of interaction, or energy exchange, and mutual change fixes conservation as natural outcome.
Is there any reason to think about energy as some substance, if in any case conditions dictate energy exchange, not amount of energy dictating conditions? Nope. So, energy isn't real, its our measure of interaction of something.

layman said
 

1. What is energy exactly?

Energy is a fundamental concept in physics that refers to the ability of a system to do work or cause change. It can exist in various forms such as mechanical, thermal, electrical, and chemical.

2. How is energy measured?

Energy is measured in joules (J) in the International System of Units (SI). However, it can also be measured in other units such as calories, kilowatt-hours, and electron volts.

3. Where does energy come from?

Energy can come from various sources, including the sun, fossil fuels, nuclear reactions, and renewable sources such as wind and water. Ultimately, all energy on Earth can be traced back to the sun.

4. Can energy be created or destroyed?

The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be converted from one form to another. This means that the total amount of energy in a closed system remains constant.

5. How is energy used in our daily lives?

Energy is used in almost every aspect of our daily lives, from powering our homes and transportation to manufacturing goods and producing food. We also use energy for entertainment, communication, and healthcare. Essentially, every action we take requires energy in some form.

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